Critical Thinking: An Introduction

Critical Thinking: An Introduction

Lecture 1

Course Contacts/URL’s

• Syllabus/Lecture Notes– http://www.phhp.ufl.edu/~rbauer

• Instructor and TA contactsRus Bauer ([email protected])Chad Betters ([email protected])Vicky Buckles ([email protected])Bradley Daniels ([email protected])Mandy Gerlach ([email protected])Maria Rattray ([email protected])

Plan For the Course

• You will first receive basic information on critical thinking and problem-based learning

• You will be active participants, not recipients of information

• You will be given problems to solve, and your success in problem solution will be the focus of attention and evaluation

• We will be concerned primarily with process, not just achievement

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

Critical thinkers:• Care that their beliefs be true and that their decisions

be justified; that is, care to "get it right“ to the extent possible.  This includes the dispositions to

Seek alternative hypotheses, explanations, conclusions, plans, sources, etc.,and be open to them

Endorse a position to the extent that, but only to the extent that, it is justified by the information that is available

Be well informed Consider seriously points of view other than their own

Characteristics II

Critical thinkers:• Care to present a position honestly and clearly, theirs

as well as others'.  This includes the dispositions to

Be clear about the intended meaning of what is said, written, or otherwise communicated,seeking as much information and precision as the situation requires

Determine, and maintain focus on, the conclusion or question

Seek and offer reasons for their opinions/conclusions Take into account the total situation Be reflectively aware of their own basic beliefs

Characteristics III

Critical thinkers:• Care about others’ point of view and treat

it with respect. They:Discover and listen to others' views and reasonsAvoid intimidating or confusing others, taking into

account others' feelings and level of understandingAre concerned about others' welfareAre concerned about educating others on the issues

Steps in Critical Thinking:Formulating your argument

• Focus on a question– Identify and formulate the question– Develop criteria for judging possible answers– Develop a plan for collecting data

• Develop an argument– Generate premises and conclusions (the

“whereas” and “therefore”– Develop reasoning steps/support for

conclusions (the “why”)

Steps in Critical Thinking:Deconstructing your Argument

• Analyze arguments1.  Identify conclusions2.  Identify unstated reasons (assumptions)3. Identify stated reasons4.  Identify and handle irrelevance5.  See the structure of an argument6.  Summarize

Steps in Critical Thinking:Clarifying Arguments

• Ask and answer questions of clarification and/or challenge, such as:

1. Why?2. What is your main point?3. What do you mean by…?4. What would be an example?5. What would be an exception?6. How does that apply to this case (describe a case, which might

well appear to be a counter example)?7. What difference does it make?8. What are the facts?9. Is this what you are saying: ____________?10. Would you say some more about that?

Steps in Critical Thinking:Knowing/Analyzing Sources

Judge the credibility of a source. Major criteria (but not necessary conditions):1. Expertise2. Lack of conflict of interest3. Agreement among sources4. Reputation or risk to reputation5. Use of established procedures6. Ability to give reasons

Steps in Critical Thinking:Knowing the Basis for Decisions

• Example: guilt or innocence of an accused criminal defendant Is the evidence physical or circumstantial? How good is the

evidence? Were there eyewitnesses? How reliable are they? Direct observations are strong evidence because:

1. Minimal inference involved2. Short time interval between observation and report3. Report by the observer, rather than someone else (that is, the report

is not hearsay, and can be verified)4. Corroboration or possibility of corroboration5. Good access to actual physical evidence6. Competent employment of technology, if technology is useful7. Satisfaction by observer (and reporter, if a different person) of

credibility criteria

Inference

• Induction: moving from specific to general (arguments based on observation or experience)

• Deduction: moving from general to specific (arguments based on laws, rules, or widely-accepted principles)

Gravity example

Types of Explanatory Conclusions

1. Causal claims (“Treatment X causes improvement in strength and mobility”)

2. Claims about the beliefs and attitudes of other people (“The American people want security more than prosperity”)

3. Interpretation of others’ intended meanings (“She is always late, so she must not really want to do this”)

4. Historical claims that certain things happened (“He woke up in a bathtub of ice, missing a kidney”)

Getting the Data• Designing experiments, including

planning to control variables• Seeking evidence and counterevidence• Seeking other possible explanations• Evaluating the strength of available

evidence

Judging Conclusions1. The proposed conclusion would

explain the evidence2. The proposed conclusion is consistent

with all known facts3. Competitive alternative explanations

are inconsistent with facts4. The proposed conclusion seems

plausible (less important than 1-3)

Ask Testable Questions

• Do infants dream?• Does caffeine make people anxious?• Are some people born evil?• Does smoking lead to lung cancer?• Are dreams an indication of our

unconscious desires and conflicts?• Is physical therapy beneficial?

Causal Arguments

• Truck, bicycle, and car example• What causes the accident?• The “one significant difference” idea

(inductive)• Two important rules:

– Cause must precede the effect in time– Correlation does not prove causation.

Example: Economics of Obesity• In the study, one of the first to examine the economic effects of

obesity on mature men and women, the researchers examined a wide range of demographic, physical and mental health characteristics to see whether these factors explained the economic differences between obese and non-obese women.

• Average adjusted individual net worth (women)– Normal to overweight --- $225,973 – Mildly obese --- $247,140 – Moderately to severely obese --- $90,303

• “Obesity is economically burdensome for women. This may be due to cultural norms of attractiveness, which stigmatize obese women in a variety of ways," the researchers conclude.

• What do you think of this conclusion?

Introduction to Statements• Most sentences can be true or false, but a few cannot (e.g., commands

[“Don’t do that”], exclamations [“Awesome!”])• True or false sentences are called statements or claims• Three qualities can categorize statements:

– Whether they are verifiable, evaluative, or avocatory claims• “That sweater is green” (verifiable)• “That’s lovely” (evaluative) vs. “The majority of the jury felt the defendant was

guilty”• “He should treat her better” (advocatory)

– Whether they are specific, of if nonspecific, whether the qualification strengthens or weakens the claim

• “47.6% of us want class to end now.”• “Approximately half of us are bored”.

– Whether they serve as conclusions, premises, or support in an argument• Specific claims are often the most persuasive, but are also most easily

refuted.